A bride’s opinion of the Simply Be plus size bridal range!

It’s time for a slightly different – and very special – post with a special guest!

A while back, when this site was still Big Girls Browse, I featured the lovely range of wedding dresses from Simply Be. This was a collection I felt really passionate about the moment I saw it. Wedding dresses are expensive, and plus size women get a very raw deal when it comes to their big day, often having to shell out for really expensive made-to-measure pieces, or settling for the very few cheaper off-the-rack options, most of which are pretty ugly and old-fashioned. Simple Be managed to produce a capsule collection of pretty, simple and non-frumpy styles in sizes 12 – 32, all costing £100 or less. They felt modern, chic and special, but fit a tight bridal budget. I knew they’d be popular, but I didn’t realise quite how popular! My post about the range quickly became one of the most visited on this site, and perhaps one of the loveliest moments of my entire blogging career so far was discovering that, in a tiny little way, I helped a bride have a brilliant wedding day.

With no further ado, I’ll pass you over to Rebecca…

The 30 Day Shred: Before, after and in the future

I wasn’t going to write about the 30 Day Shred. I’ve done it a couple of times now and always recorded my results on tumblrs that nobody reads, partly because I don’t like showing off my tummy even after the Shred is over, but also because I didn’t think anyone would care. But then I discovered that various people have found this site by searching for ‘Gemma Cartwright 30 Day Shred’, so maybe you care more than I thought?

For those few inquisitive souls, and indeed for anyone who thinks that ‘fitness’ is a dirty word, I decided perhaps it’s time to share my experiences of this much-loved and well-worn fitness DVD. In February I’ll be tackling it for a third time, so if you want to join me, I’d like to give you a taste of what you’re letting yourself in for! I’m also doing Frugal February again, so this focussed 20 mins a day will keep me sane and take my mind off the fact I’m not allowed to spend any money…

In My Wardrobe: Lady V London bird print green sundress

I’ve written about a lot of beautiful dresses in my time, but I don’t think any has received such a huge (and fast) response as the Lady V London dress that I put in my 50s sundresses feature earlier this week.

My twitter feed and blog comments were full of people telling me they were either buying it or thinking of buying it, and by Friday I even had twitpics of happy customers thanking me for introducing them to the label. In the end, I couldn’t resist ordering one myself, if only to report back on whether it really could be as good as it looks when it retails at only £30!

A date with Vivien of Holloway part 3: The ‘Peggy Lee’ day dress in green

I’m finishing up my Vivien of Holloway dress reviews today with the third and final dress. This is the Peggy Lee day dress in green (£69), a cotton number with an A-line skirt and contrasting white collar and pockets. Of the three I’ve tried, this is probably the most costumey. The other two can easily be modernised, but as far as I’m concerned, you may as well go the whole hog with this one! So I pulled out my retro glasses, put my hair in a mock-bob with some roller curls and hunted down some hair flowers so I could give this dress the 40s style look it deserves!

A date with Vivien of Holloway part 1: The Jezebel 50s wrap dress (black / polka)

If you’re one of the manypeople who found this site via my vintage reproduction clothing shopping list, you’ll know I’m a fan of the 50s look. So when one of my favourite reproduction vintage brands, Vivien of Holloway, got in touch to see if I’d like to try out some of their dresses for this blog, I obviously jumped at the chance. I already own five Vivien of Holloway dresses, but these ones are newer styles, away from the classic halter neck shape the brand is known for, so I was intrigued to try the new shapes and see how they looked…

Tried & Tested: Panty By Post

If you’re a longterm reader you’ll know I write loads about underwear. I think all good outfits begin with the right foundations, so I love browsing the web for innovations in lingerie. Panty By Post is my latest discovery, a Canadian company which sends out monthly lingerie treats to subscribers across the world.

This is definitely not the first company to offer monthly pants by post. A few years ago I won a competition to get a year’s worth of Coco Ribbon pants by post. But they were rather dull one-colour thongs. Where Panty By Post excels is in the styles that are available and the quality of the knickers themselves. The company imports French lingerie, so it’s incredibly well-made and there are lots of style options, from frilly thongs to hipsters and classic briefs and boxer-esque French knickers. Some items are even photographed alongside suspender belts. I’m not sure if you get the whole set as part of your subscription, but if you do I think that’s pretty fab!

Tried & Tested: Dee.V by Diana Vickers for Very.co.uk

Diana Vickers’ husky voice and propensity to yelp may be something of an aquired taste, but her new clothing range for Very.co.uk is a bit easier to fall in love with. A capsule range of vintage-inspired florals, fities skirts and 60s-inspired separates, it appealed instantly to me, so when Very got in touch to offer an item from their huge range for review, I knew I had to go with something from Diana’s collection.

I picked the Contrast Collar Printed Dress (£49) which I thought was very cute with its big pink buttons and collar. I’m getting to the point where I’m far too old to pull off anything this twee, so let’s call this my last hurrah. I can’t resist anything a bit childish!

Tried & Tested: INES Collection’s plus size prints!

I’ve been sitting on this review for months (literally) because I didn’t want it to disappear in the middle of all the Dressember madness, so please forgive the fact I didn’t tell you all about INES Collection sooner! The brand (available at ShopTranslated.com, who ship internationally) offers affordable plus size dresses and blouses with an emphasis on prints – a great move as plus size fashion is so often black, black, black, and while some people can totally pull that off, others want a bit of colour!

I was sent the Graphic Pop dress ($72) and a ruched sleeve peacock print blouse to try out, so read on for how I got on!

Tried & Tested: Fitflop Mukluk boots

With a couple of meagre inches of snow bringing the whole of the London train system to a standstill, I’ve spent a fair amount of time working from home the past week. But various events have forced me out of the comfort of my flat and onto the icy roads (and the blessed snow-free tube), and only one footwear option has been suitable.

Forget non-waterproof Uggs, impractical wellies or leather boots with flimsy, slippery soles. This year, my feet have barely left my new Fitflop Mukluks. And it’s safe to say I’m sold…

Tried & Tested: True Corset ‘Dita’ corset

With my passion for 40s and 50s fashion, it’s perhaps a surprise that I’ve never really tried a proper corset before. I’ve worn bustiers and cheap alternatives, I’ve sewn plastic bones into the top of a prom dress, and I’ve even given corset shapewear a go. But until True Corset got in touch, I’d never laced myself into a proper steel-boned number!

So I was excited to be offered the chance to try a really gorgeous burlesque-inspired corset that promised to create the ultimate hourglass figure. I was sent the ‘Dita’ corset in black with polka dot panels, a longer line corset that promised to shape without squishing my flesh too much…